Harvey Weinstein arrives at the Oscars on 28 February 2016 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Photograph: Al Powers/Invision/AP

Film mogul Harvey Weinstein has issued an apology for his past behavior and said he is preparing to take a leave of absence from work after a bombshell report on Thursday accused him of sexual harassment over decades.

Weinstein made a statement to the New York Times, which broke news of the claims, with the film producer saying: “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go.”

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It was reported, citing company officials, that Weinstein had reached private settlements with at least eight women over accusations of sexual misconduct over a period of years. Among the accusers who allegedly reached settlements are two former assistants, an actress and an Italian model.

Lawyers for Weinstein said that many of the allegations were false and that a lawsuit was being prepared.

The Times report alleged he had created a toxic working environment through decades of inappropriate sexual advances, and claimed he had made settlements after allegations from a number of women over the years.

It is based on interviews with dozens of former and current employees who claim they saw examples of Weinstein’s misbehavior, as well as legal records and internal documents from the businesses Weinstein has run.

Weinstein’s alleged behavior frequently fit a pattern, they claimed. A young woman would be told to meet Weinstein at a luxury hotel for business purposes, and he would use the encounter to make sexual advances. Eight women who spoke for the story said Weinstein greeted them in the nude, or asked for a massage, or to watch him shower, it was reported.

Few of those who spoke to the Times challenged Weinstein over his behavior, they said.

Weinstein, through his lawyer Lisa Bloom, “denies many of the accusations as patently false”. Bloom further called Weinstein “an old dinosaur learning new ways”.

In conversations with Weinstein over the past year, she told the paper, she has “explained to him that due to the power difference between a major studio head like him and most others in the industry, whatever his motives, some of his words and behaviors can be perceived as inappropriate, even intimidating”.

After the Times article was published, another lawyer for Weinstein, Charles Harder, said in a statement: “We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations.”

“The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein,” the statement read. “ It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by nine different eyewitnesses. We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish.”

The accusations against Weinstein span several decades and come from big-name stars to employees at the lowest rungs in his vaunted production company.

Ashley Judd claimed to the Times on Thursday that two decades ago, Weinstein invited her to a breakfast meeting, which he held in his hotel room at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, and used the occasion to ask her to give him a massage or watch him shower.

In 2014, a temporary worker would claim, Weinstein made an unwanted advance at the same hotel, saying he would kickstart her career if she would have sex with him. She declined to report the incident to human resources. One year later, a female assistant would tell others that a nude Weinstein had pressured her into giving him a massage – an alleged incident that helped form the basis of a 2015 letter which another employee wrote to executives at Weinstein’s company.

“There is a toxic environment for women at this company,” said the letter, obtained by the Times. The letter’s author, Lauren O’Connor, is also reported to have settled a claim against Weinstein, although he claimed to the Times that she left the company on good terms. O’Connor withdrew her complaint and thanked Weinstein for the career opportunity after reaching a settlement, it was reported.

Weinstein, who was married during many of the alleged incidents or their aftermath, has not commented publicly about Judd’s claims. Her mother, the country singer Naomi Judd, claims Ashley told her about the incident around the time it allegedly occurred.

Judd has told a version of her story publicly in the past, but without naming the man involved. “Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it’s simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly,” Judd told the paper.

Weinstein is seen by many as one of the modern fathers of the independent movie scene, helping to bring directors such as Steven Soderbergh and Quentin Tarantino to mainstream audiences.

Through aggressive campaigning, he helped to secure a string of best picture Oscars for films including Shakespeare in Love, The Artist and The Engish Patient. Last year, he started funding a private foundation to help champion LGBT rights, women’s rights and the increased visibility of female directors within Hollywood.

This is not the first time Weinstein has been publicly accused of making unwanted sexual advances.

In 2015, model Ambra Battilana accused Weinstein of groping her in his office but the Manhattan district attorney decided not to pursue the case. “After analyzing the available evidence, including multiple interviews with both parties, a criminal charge is not supported,” said spokeswoman Joan Vollero at the time. Weinstein maintained his innocence.

Weinstein’s reputation in the industry for abrasive behavior has followed him throughout his career. His relationship with directors has often been fraught, with his penchant for taking over the editing suite earning him the title “Harvey Scissorhands”.

In 2002, he fell out with Frida director Julie Taymor after they disagreed over the results of a test screening. “You are the most arrogant person I have ever met,” he reportedly said to her. “Go market the fucking film yourself!”

Mark Lipsky, who worked as head of distribution for Miramax, referred to Harvey, and his brother Bob as “two of the most unrepentant bullies I’d ever met”.

Weinstein has spoken about his temperament in the past. “You know, for years I used to read about myself,” he told New York magazine in an interview. “They’d say, ‘He has a temper’ or ‘He’s a bully’ or something like that, and it always bothered me. You know, I always felt guilty about it. Somebody said, ‘The flower bill that is written by Harvey could have’ – you know what I mean – ‘because he needs so many apologies, could fund a small nation.’”